The Federal Government has alerted Nigerians to the plan by a Boko
Haram affiliate, Muslim Brotherhood Cell in Kogi State, to acquire
bomb-making chemicals and high-calibre weapons to perpetrate acts of
terror, including attacks on banks, arms depots and prisons.

In a
statement issued in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said intelligence monitoring has shown
that the cell is making frantic efforts to advance its IED-making
capability through the acquisition of such chemicals as Sodium Azide
(for producing improvised detonators), Potassium Chlorate.

“One
Usman, an IED apprentice, left the cell some time back to join Islamic
State in Libya. The new desire to acquire IED precursor chemicals could
suggest that Usman or other persons may have returned from Libya and
have acquired IED-making skills intended to increase the activities of
the group,” he said.

The Minister said intelligence also revealed
that the group is making serious efforts to acquire sophisticated arms,
including shoulder-fired rocket launchers.

“Further intelligence
monitoring has revealed that members of the Muslim Brotherhood are
planning to forcefully free their members who are in detention in Kogi,
Abuja and Kaduna, including one Bilyaminu, an IED expert for the group
who is now at Kuje prison,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed appealed to
Nigerians to be vigilant and to report any suspicious persons or
movements to the appropriate authorities.